Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of March 9, 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC requires in the essential health and safety requirements in Annex II point 2.4 that an end of use date or lifespan is defined for each PPE.

Radiation protection products are subject to individual use and handling which is unpredictable and cannot be anticipated by us as a manufacturer. This makes it impossible to estimate the lifespan of the products outside the two-year warranty. Several aspects play an important role here, some of which can be positively influenced by you: use, storage, cleaning and disinfection.

As the product lifespan cannot be determined across the board, the X-ray protective clothing must be checked regularly, e.g. by using X-ray fluoroscopy. If defects are found and the protective function is no longer guaranteed, the product must be taken out of use.

MAVIG has specified that its clothing should be checked every 3 months to ensure that its protective function is intact. We recommend an inspection in accordance with the DIN 6857-2:2021 standard, which, in addition to regular visual and tactile inspections, also requires checking the products with X-rays.

The important factor here is how the product is stored (creasing, folding, etc.), but also the storage period and the environmental conditions (temperatures, ozone, sunlight, etc.). For this reason, we have specifications in this regard in our instructions for use: “Use MAVIG special coat hangers or suitable MAVIG storage systems for storing protective aprons. Radiation protective clothing should not be folded or allowed to hang over edges and must be stored away from sources of heat.” We are well aware that it will not always be possible in everyday clinical practice. In many cases, things have to be done quickly, so that clothing is not stored properly and as wrinkle-free as possible on the appropriate storage systems, but is instead quickly laid over a chair, for example. Even if this procedure is not a problem “at times”, it leads to increased stress on the material, which in turn can lead to faster wear and tear.

It is essential that radiation protective clothing is generally treated with care. Like any other clothing, the more care you take of it, the longer it will last.